Have you been to the wettest place on earth? Well, I can now announce that I have.
After seeing the cleanest river and villages, it was time to break more records, that’s how Cherrapunjee formed part of my north east Indian itinerary, however unplanned, random and haphazard it was. Well, that’s how I travel – no fixed plans, no pre-bookings, no confirmed routes – well, mostly, it is certainly not a good idea if you are looking to steal a deal.
Situated in the east khasi hills district of Meghalaya (adobe of clouds), this paradise on earth is definitely worth a visit. Even though Cherrapunjee is credited as the place with most rainfall in a calendar month and the wettest place on earth, in reality it is the nearby town of Mawsynram which steals this title.
Just driving around misty winding roads of Cherrapunjee has a special charm to it. We were awe-stuck by the sheer beauty and greenery of the place. You will find waterfalls and mountains till as far as the eyes could see with mystical monsoon clouds hovering right over you! Doesn’t it sound simply magical? Well, it was!
Exploring Cherrapunjee, the wettest place on earth in 24 hours
Certainly spending a few days in Sohra, Cherrapunjee is ideal but we had 2 nights and a single day to sight-see. Obviously we used the little time we had on our 2nd day as well to do some early morning hiking and maximize our time there. We were able to see almost all of the major attractions by hiring a local car for full day at our disposal. It didn’t feel rushed at all and is do-able in 1.5 days. We wanted to spend more time in Nongriat, where we went for our 5 hour morning hike, but atleast we got a decent flavor of this wet, romantic destination.
Mawsmai Cave
Exploring the lovely Mawsmai cave was simply fantastic. Needless to say, it was wet and raining almost all through our stay so it actually felt cozier inside the dark dingy cave. At one point we even had to get on our knees to make it to the other side. Wear comfy clothes and shoes and prepare to get dirty! It’s all worth it and well, I am almost always wearing basic casuals while traveling so I don’t mind a bit of rain or dirt especially as I love adventures and getting off the beaten path(not that I own any Gucci suits, but you get my drift,right?).
At one place there was this amazing gaping hole right above us with rain drops falling through it. This was a really pretty sight and well standing below it also felt like you are being abducted by an alien space ship. On a more positive note, it also ironically denoted that their is light at the end of the tunnel.
Eco Park
I wasn’t expecting much from a man made attraction but it only enhanced the natural wonders of Cherrapunjee so I would actually recommend visiting the eco tourism park. Lovely streams flow through the park and you can cross bridges to go to the other side.
From one view point, you can enjoy the view of Bangladesh, while on another is the mesmerizing canyon from where the waterfalls start. You can literally go up right to the edge and see the powerful flow of waterwalls and the entire valley beneath, dotted with streams, falls and foliage. This is quite a sight.
Double Decker Living Root Bridges Nongriyat
This was hands down my best experience in North East. Nongriat is truly off beat as it is difficult to reach. You are looking at around 6000 steep steps, bridges and a tough hike to the double decker living root bridge.
It is well rewarded but certainly not for the lazy bums. I wrote in details about this amazing paradise of the seven sisters here.
Seven Sisters or Noh-Sngithiang Falls
Noh-Sngithiang or the commonly termed seven sisters fall is a seven segmented 315m tall waterfall. This makes Noh-Sngithiang one of the top 10 tallest waterfalls in the entire country. Due to its location in Mawsmai, it is also sometimes known as Mawsmai falls.
Thangkharang Park
It was raining heavily and quite windy as we reached Thangkharang park, which meant there was absolutely not a soul in sight – Now, that’s a big win. My hubby and I both prefer isolated places so when we find a touristy place empty, it’s so much more fun to explore. I almost lost our rented umbrella in the wind but hey – all part of the experience.
Their green house was not so impressive but the amazing view points were something else. Imagine being literally blown away by the wind and rains whilst watching gazing into surreal valleys which come to life with the onset of rains. From here, you can catch a lovely view of Kynrem falls.
Tip – Carry a rainjacket, umbrella, rain boots and quick dry clothes. It can rain anytime in Cherrapunjee and you will enjoy your explorations much more if you are well prepared.
It’s no wonder that the wettest place on earth is thriving with stunning waterfalls and cloudy skies. There are many more waterfalls and caves to be explored further up in the hills and if you have an extra couple of days to explore.
Click here to read about my other adventures in North East India
This alongside regular visits to Indian jungles in search of the Royal Bengal Tiger, fueled her zest for adventure, nature and wildlife.
Now she is a renowned travel blogger, outreach expert and has worked with over 500 travel brands in the last 15 years.
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Sounds like there is lots to explore- good tip to wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet and dirty!
Sometimes the wettest places are the best. When I hiked the Milford track in New Zealand it poured on us…and the waterfalls were beautiful because of it. Have Gore-tex will travel.
It definitely is green and lush and what fun to explore all those stunning waterfalls. I live in east Hawaii and we also get 150 – 200 inches a year alone which is great if you love lush areas to visit.
Cherrapunjee looks absolutely beautiful, I’m shocked that they are the wettest place on the planet, I thought that was reserved for England, lol because since I moved I have never seen so much rain and wetness in my life. I like that your travel style of spontaneity!
Haha I agree it was raining almost all the time when I was in England but I guess it doesn’t get as much density of rainfall hence these spots take the cake lol
And I thought London got a lot of rain! This place looks amazing, if wet, and it must have been a wonderful trip. I thought that Mawsmai Cave looks like a fairytale.
Considering the natural beauty of the waterfalls, I would like to visit Mawsynram one day and see Cherrapunjee for myself. I can handle the rain so long as it’s not too cold.
Oh it not cold at all – one jacket is just about all you need 🙂
Wow that root bridge looks terrifying especially in the rain. I guess all that rain is worth it though because it leads to a really lovely place…all those beautiful waterfalls.
This looks like such a cool place! I’d love to be climbing and exploring all over the place. All of the waterfalls looked so awesome and I love that you could get so close the them!
Hi Jyoti, thanks for this good virtual tour. How did you get right to the edge? I have to get there to figure this out. The views are mesmerizing. I didn’t know Bangladesh is visible from there.
*Jyotsna… sorry I addressed you that. Are you by any chance addressed by that shortened version… I call another friend of mine with that. 🙂
I have been called Jo/ JoJo since childhood actually so even Jyoti is longer (For my friends and family hehe) 🙂
You are allowed to go right up to the edge if you go thru the Eco park – you ought to visit.
I didn’t even know there was a “wettest place on earth”. That’s so cool! Guess there’s somewhere else to add to the bucket list!
Haha tell me about it, I get new bucket list ideas everyday – so little time, so many places to see. sigh!
Great shot of Noh-Sngithiang Falls, Jo! I can almost smell the fresh air!
I retweeted this to my audience. 🙂
Thanks Scott. glad you liked it